When conducting woodworking and related crafts requiring a finished surface, a woodworker will oftentimes manually rub the surface of a work piece using a sheet of abrasive material, such as sand paper, to even out and smooth the surface. This can be a slow process, made more difficult because a sheet of sand paper can quickly wear out, and holding onto the paper while manually rubbing the piece can cause hand strain. Sanding blocks offer some improvement to sand paper. The blocks can be ergonomically shaped, and can hold larger pieces or sheets of sand paper. Additionally, sanding blocks include apparatus for holding the paper in place on the block.
Sanding blocks, however, also have several drawbacks. For instance, the paper on the sanding block tends to gum up or fill because the same area of the block is being repeatedly rubbed against the work piece. Stopping and cleaning the sand paper requires extra time, which is frustrating and inefficient. Additionally, the sand paper can easily rip because of the repeated wear in the same location. The sand paper also can easily rip if the paper is not held perfectly tight on the block. Having loose paper on the sanding block can also reduce the quality of the sanding done with the block and, thus, the quality of the finished work product.
Automatic sanders, either belt-type or orbital-type, can be easier to use, but they often provide more force than is necessary for the project, and can have a number of drawbacks. In particular, automatic sanders require a power source, necessitating the inconvenience of a power cord or the added weight of batteries. Automatic belt-type sanders also have the reputation of removing too much material too quickly. Orbital sanders are more commonly used, but can generate a lot of dust and also be too aggressive in removing material from the work piece. With fine woodworking, better results are typically achieved if the sanding is accomplished by hand, because hand sanding allows a much lighter touch than a motorized machine.
Accordingly, to facilitate fine woodworking, it is desirable to have a hand-held sanding device which is easy to use, and which eliminates the hand strain associated with sand paper. Additionally, it is desirable to have a hand-held sanding device which distributes the contact between the work piece and sanding material across a large surface area of the material, to prevent uneven wear, gumming up, or ripping of the material. Further, it is desirable to have a hand-held sanding device which holds the sanding material tightly on the device. Furthermore, it is desirable to have a hand sanding device which allows for easy removal and replacement of the sanding material, and which can operate without a secondary power source.